Gadgetory

the grand experiment can Google move its first party phone platform from developers to more of a consumer focus the pixel XL has become a fairly polarizing device in our comments there's a lot of the Google DNA we still enjoy but it's packaged up in a softer aesthetic and arrives with a more premium price tag for you specs junkies you can pause the video here to get a quick rundown on the hardware this pixel is packing with that out of the way Google's design here gets a lot right look at some of the things folks are apt to complain about on other phones pixel features a subtle wedge shape thicker at the top than at the bottom which helps provide enough room to sync the camera housing flush with the rear plate while keeping a thinner feel in the hand using it for a couple weeks I never could shake the vibe from our first impressions I still don't like this glass panel on the back for how nice the satin finishes on the rest of the phone the glass just feels out of place it's incongruous though we are happy to see a company playing with bold color options pixel joins the honor 8 as the only other phone people have asked me about personally while using it out in public the most derided part of this look though has to be these front white borders white edges certainly call more attention to the use of space here the phone still features a respectable screen to bezel ratio but with no Hardware on the front we can totally appreciate why some feel this is wasted space now speaking of that screen this is a very good AMOLED display but overall it feels a bit basic there doesn't seem to be the high brightness or high contrast burst mode found on some competitors and what we can measure for brightness pixel fell behind the galaxy s7 and just edged out the iPhone 7 plus but ultimately it's up in the tier of easy-to-read screens when out in daylight as this is a consumer focused phone accuracy seems to have taken a backseat to popping the color for a more dramatic look there aren't any colour profile adjustments to be found in the normal settings but the developer settings includes an sRGB mode which adjusts color temperature and saturation for a more accurate display it doesn't reach the accuracy of the galaxy s7 or iPhone 7 but it helps take the edge off the aggressive saturation now the big draw for prospective pixel purchasers is of course this software Android 7.1 with Google's customizations running on top we've covered the nougat basics and numerous other videos and we're still really enjoying the multitasking and notification shade improvements Google adds a new gesture for pulling up the app drawer which is pretty keen but the biggest update is the new Google assistant I'm not one to often rely on voice search but Google's assistant is another important step towards more organic and conversational voice search we're hoping this forms the backbone of Google's future connected device strategy like Android auto and Google home the software discussion wouldn't mean much though if it weren't for this insane UI performance we've never used in Android which felt this consistently snappy and responsive pixel benchmarks well enough but there's obviously been a focus on optimization reading through complaints regarding RAM management from more aggressive use our more anecdotal testing has shown consistent performance for daily tasks social media and light to moderate gaming playing four games at a time will cause apps to be ejected from memory but that just isn't something we're apt to do very often and we're happy to see some terrific radios onboard Wi-Fi performance was neck-and-neck with the galaxy s7 just edging out the LGV 24 a strong connection with my lame Wi-Fi router we should also take a moment here to talk about carriers sure TV commercials will tell you that the pixel is only on Verizon but we picked up this phone with project Phi in mind especially for some recent international traveling juggling between t-mobile and Sprint networks I was happy to find stronger signal in my neighborhood then on Verizon and with the exception of one drop out in Munich the pixel XL proved to be a better travel companion than the 5x I was using for keifa earlier this year now moving to the camera we have the most complete examination of pixel photo and video performance in our separate real camera review linked below this video but to recap Google delivers one of the best HDR modes we've ever seen we're treated to stellar slow motion video and genuinely excellent stabilization in most shooting scenarios unfortunately our unit was subject to some terrible lens flaring sometimes visible during daylight conditions the software stabilization and get twitchy during panning and we're disappointed to see or hear rather only mono audio recording while shooting video this is ultimately a very good camera especially for those folks who only shoot full auto but it completely ignores people who would prefer more control over their composition and lens defects knock it out of google's assertion that this is the best camera ever in chatting about the camera many have pointed to the perk that you get unlimited full quality google photo storage from this phone this is nice but for photos Google already allows unlimited storage for up to 16 megapixel images in 1080p video I already use it to back up all of my iPhone photos as iCloud is stupid expensive the main perk here might be for folks who shoot a lot of UHD video which I do but this isn't a feature we would necessarily point to as a purchasing motivator now the audio situation is something of a disappointment the bottom firing speaker is about par for the course when compared to other bottom firing solutions but the headphone playback falls far behind most of the competition we also have a more in-depth look at audio performance in our real audio review but it would seem Google opted not to incorporate more HTC DNA here which is a shame and lastly looking at battery life the pixel is a solid all-day performer under moderate use we were consistently able to make it to dinnertime with some room to spare looking at our media test streaming 30 minutes of HD video over Wi-Fi at 190 Lux the phone drained approximately 5% of its battery which is right in line with similarly Specht flagship phones and recharge times our upper mid pack 30 minutes on the included charger resulted in topping off the battery 37 percent while the phone remained cool to the touch so let's wrap this up where does that leave us with Google's pixel XL there's a lot to like here Google is making a second attempt at a first impression and for folks most concerned about software performance we think they'll be very pleased with what they get does that punch your performance warrant the newly premium price however that's a tougher question to answer we're similarly expensive phones are arriving with better lifestyle features like enhanced durability better audio or larger batteries with faster charging other competitors this year can often match or best many of the pixels benefits for a lot less cash we're very excited by the idea of a platform where Google controls the hardware and the software we certainly see the benefits of proper optimization but at this price we were hoping to see more risks anything which might help Google differentiate from the competition or justify a premium label as the Nexus is now properly retired whether the performance and promise of timely updates are worth it is a question only you and your wallet can answer as always thanks so much for watching be sure to subscribe to this channel for our full pixel coverage including comparisons and high Mae's review of the smaller pixel and help us out with some sharing on your favorite social networks for PocketNow i'm juan carlos bag now some gadget guy on twitter and instagram and i will catch you all on the next review you